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The Healthiest Fruits to Eat

Eating healthy should not be a choice, it should be an obligation. Everybody knows that two to three servings of fruits a day are enough to keep us healthy. Some doctors even recommend that women should increase that amount up to 6 or 7 servings of juicy crops. If you’re under a diet, you probably think that fruits are not your best friends in the weight loss program, because some of them have too many sugars. That is true, some of the healthiest fruits to eat are loaded with sugars, but that shouldn’t give you the right to exclude them from your daily intake. A diet doesn’t mean you have to starve to death or deprive yourself of your favorite foods. It simply means that you have to select your food more carefully in order to improve your physical condition. Everything else would be just plain torture. A strict diet is never a way to a better health, and it is not safe for your body. Robbing your organism from healthy nutrients might have a devastating outcome. You might end up starving your body to the point where you have to gain more weight to recover from your depraved physical condition.

Picking the healthiest fruits to eat

Two-thirds of the American population is obsessed with calories. If you are lucky to be in the last third that knows how to choose their food, you probably already know which the healthiest fruits to eat are. To be fair, there isn’t a fruit or a vegetable that is bad for you or your health. Everything that comes from nature has its benefits and we can somehow find it useful. If you are still worried about calories and want to know how each fruit benefits your health, you can read this article further.

Berries

Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, it doesn’t matter which ones are your favorites because they are all rivals. It’s hard to find them fresh and they are much more expensive that way, but frozen ones are just as good. One cup full of any of the berry types contains between 40 and 50 calories, which gives you the freedom of using them in smoothies with other more caloric fruits or vegetables. Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C, a recognized factor known to promote the lifespan of healthy living cells in the body. Raspberries have vitamin C as well, but they also contain high levels of calcium and iron. Blackberries are the super fruit among the berries. They have the highest level of antioxidants among any other food, which promotes healthy heart function, as well as good athletic and physical condition. The nutrient that makes these berries special is called anthocyanin. This compound reduces the effects and risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and it protects our brain from oxidative stress. Bursting with antioxidants, blueberries are mostly recommended to elderly people. They are known to improve night vision, with regular consumption you will have no problems adjusting your sight in dark rooms and restore the clarity after you have been exposed to glare or bright lights.

Bananas

Botanically speaking, the banana is a berry, but because of its diverse nutritional value we will describe it separately. Peeled, in a smoothie or mixed as baby food, this fruit is a wonderful addition to every diet. Low levels of potassium in the body can lead to strokes, heart failure and overall hypersensitivity, but eating two to three bananas a day will provide your organism with the regular dose of this mineral. Bananas are not the perfect source of calcium, but they are an abundant source of the prebiotic substance called fructooligosaccharide. When this substance is in the digestive tract, it greatly enhances the ability of the tract to absorb calcium. So, mix it with dried fruits, kiwi, prunes or oranges and you will supply your body with enough calcium for the day. In Nigeria, a combination of this fruit with the herb called Orinol is used to treat cataracts, but you can use it to preserve your eyes from many sight diminishing ailments. A medium sized banana is almost 15% carbohydrates and it will provide your body with around 100 calories. As a result, you can replace your ice-cream, doughnut or other poorly snacks with this health promoting berry.

Apples

Most of the time, the simplest answer to the question is the best. If you were asking yourself which were the healthiest fruits to eat that you don’t actually have to run around town to find them, then the answer is apples. You can find them everywhere and they are among the cheapest healthy foods you can find. Their delicious smell comes from their skin and all the vitamins are stored under it. Make sure you buy these products from a local store. Most of the time supermarkets distribute their goods from big plantations, where they treat their gardens with pesticides. A test made on mice showed that eating apples increases the levels of the neurotransmitter named acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter will keep your brain healthy, young and functional even when you reach your senior years. Some flavonoids found in apples inhibit enzymes, which later break the complex carbohydrates into simple blood sugars. That means that implementing this fruit in your diet, you can naturally lower the sugar levels in your blood. This fruit is also a great source of dietary fiber, meaning, you can satisfy your hunger between meals with one or two apples.

Cantaloupe

If you were wondering whether watermelons or cantaloupes are the healthiest fruits to eat, we will advise against watermelons. Cantaloupes contain 200% more vitamin C and A compared to watermelons and they also taste better. Their meat is thicker than watermelons, so you can easily mix them with other more watery fruits into the blender. One small sized cantaloupe has around 150 calories, a total of 0.8 grams fat and no cholesterol. This little sweet melon is loaded with more than 1000 milligrams of potassium, which is half of the daily recommended dose for healthy adults. Its high levels of vitamin A and C will promote healthy skin cells and its best to be consumed during and after the summer, when the skin needs regeneration the most. The C-reactive protein found in cantaloupes as well as watermelons, is the factor that will guard your system against viral, fungal and bacterial infections. Other healthy features of this fruit are: vitamin K, B6, B3, B1, folate and magnesium among others.

Grapes

Grapes were a significant part of ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian feasts. They still find their way to our modern day tables and their nutritional statistics will explain why. This product will stay on the Top 10 healthiest fruits to eat, or drink. Purple and red grapes are rich in the pigment called anthocyanin. If you crave for something sweet, this fruit will satisfy your needs without disturbing your blood sugar levels, blood pressure or heart function. Green and white grapes contain more tannin. This antioxidant is hiding in the grape seed and skin, so it will be most beneficial consumed fresh or dried. Resveratrol is the composite part found in grapes responsible for the longevity of the cells and aids to the bioavailability of the nutrients in the body. This element helps the cells absorb all the nutrients needed before they expire. If your teeth bones are prone to leaving stains after coffee or cigarettes, the malic acid that is found in grapes will bleach them and make them white.

Pomegranates

Unfortunately, this fruit too is seasonal. It is native to Iraq and Iran and it is cultivated from the end of the summer to the end of January. On the other hand, we live in a modern world where everything is available to us within reach. You can find this fruit’s seed in packages in many supermarkets. Rich with insoluble and soluble dietary fiber, one serving of pomegranates a day will smooth out your bowel movements and digestive functions. The risk of caustic free radicals damaging your heart function will be reduced to zero once you implement this super fruit in your daily wellness program. The reason is because the juice contains a fusion of Punicalagin and Granatin B. Other than supporting the heart function, these ellagitannins will improve the gut flora, thus refining the overall digestive functioning. Together with apples, pomegranates are recommended mostly for smokers and second hand smokers, because of their high levels of antioxidants. Although it’s not a source of vitamins A and B12, the pomegranate is a great source of almost all other vitamins, including niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folate and etc.

You can’t look for excuses when your health is concerned. Every time you want chocolate, remember that your body actually needs sugar, which you can find in huge amounts in many fruits. The next time you go to the market, avoid putting bags of chips, sugary treats and chocolates on the grocery list. Instead, fill your basket with health promoting products and keep your blender functional.